Home Office blocking Gaza family evacuations, lawyers say

The Home Office is reportedly preventing dozens of women and children from Gaza from evacuating to the UK, despite the Foreign Office's stated readiness to facilitate such departures. Lawyers representing the families argue that the Home Office is imposing stricter criteria and citing security concerns for Palestinian families, a stance they claim is harsher than for refugees from other nations.

Families who applied for reunion before the Home Office suspended refugee family reunion applications in September are now blocked from joining loved ones in the UK. The process remains suspended, with new, more restrictive rules yet to be announced. Lawyers state that families with a right to leave are evacuated via Jordan, but the Home Office is allegedly withholding the necessary onward travel assurance (OTA) and employing legal challenges to prevent their entry into the UK.

Concerns have been raised about the Home Office's justification for these blocks, with some family members, including young children, reportedly deemed a security risk due to originating from a territory where terrorists operate. This is despite some UK-based refugees having previously been persecuted by Hamas. The Home Office maintains that biometrics are obtained before travel, even though the Gaza visa centre has been closed since October 2023. Other European countries are reportedly facilitating similar evacuations.

Lawyers describe the conditions in Gaza as life-threatening, with insanitary conditions, infested tents, and frequent bombings. In response, the Home Office has stated that these conditions alone do not constitute compelling circumstances under relevant guidance. One case involves a refugee separated from his wife, three children, and adopted nephew, who expressed distress over the government's broken promise and the perceived contradiction of the Foreign Office being willing to evacuate while the Home Office obstructs it.